Base for cloth-cutting machines



M. ZAWISIUWSKI. BASE FoR cLoTH cuTTmG MACHINES.

APPucATloN man APR. l. 1920.

Patented May 17, 1921.

i' actto press Y MARTIN zawisrowsxr, or BROOKLYN, :NEW YORK,

:BASEV FOR CLOTH-CUTTING VIVLAGHIN:EISl

' new and useful Improvements in Bases for Cloth-Cutting Machines, ofwliich the following is ad specication.

The ordinary cloth cutting machine as now manufactured is provided with a base serving tok support the motor, knife, and other operating and guiding parts, and is adapted to be advanced along the cutting table beneath the layersl of material to be cut as the knife is guided to follow the pattern or desired line. To facilitate free slidingA movement of the base, itis customarily provided with supporting rollers or other antifriction supporting -means. In those machines, having-'a reciprocating knife, as distinguished from a rotary one, there is commonly provided fiat springs or other resilient connections between the rollers andthe base to cushion the base and prevent vibration of the machine from causing the base to knock or `pound against the cutting table and thereby interfere with the guiding or controlling of the machine by the operator. Such a construction is shown in the expired patent to Wright 722,475 issued March 10th, 1903. Y v y The 4cutting of the cloth often produces a very finelint, some of which passes to the under side of the base and to the bearings or" journals of ythe rollers, where in time it often interferes with, or even positively prevents the rotation of the rollers.

My invention relates to bases for reciprocating knife machines Vof the resiliently and. roller support type and the main objects of. my invention are to simplify the construc-y tion, reduce the cost ofmanufacture and as. sembly, facilitate removal or separation of the parts for cleaning, replacement or re. pair, and more effectively guide and controlV the relative verticalmovements of the rollers and the base. t j

In my improved construction, thel rollers are,V carried directly by the base and are readily removable therefrom and the springs are independently connected to the base and the rollers, downwardly instead of serving. -as a, connection between the' rollers andthe base.. The springs are soV constructedthatfthey hold the rollers in proper y. assembly, but permit of the separation of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mayu, 1921.

Application filed April 19, 1920. Serial No. 374,805.

parts for cleaning, replacement or repair.

upon the removal of the rollers from therbaselv independently of any removalof the springs.;

In the accompanying drawings? Figure 1 is anY inverted plan view-,ofaf` base'construction in accordance lwithiny inl.: vention;

Figs. 2, 3, 2-d2, B-Sand 4 4 respectively of Fig. 1;

and 4 are sectionsv on4 the lines.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view. ofafinodified form.

In Vmy improved construction II provide. a\

base 1() which may be of the proper size and proportions for the machine to be supported.

ne base may have -a.smooth;upperf surface for sliding engagement beneath the material to be cuty and may have` its edge portions curvedV downwardly so as toprovidea comfparatively shallow chamber beneath the base with they edges of the base .closely adjacent to but possibly slightly` spaced above the table. The front end ofthe base may include a relatively movable section llpivotally connected to the` bodyT of thebase. so-thattthe.-

front edgefof this section 11 may'tiltand properly slide beneath thematerial irrespecf tive of any slight'` variations in. the eleva. tion of the main body of the base.,y I have shown these two sectionslconnected by pivot pins 12 extending through corresponding Pairs of lugsy 13 and 14:. 1

The main section of the Vbase may be pro-` vided with any desired number.4 ofsupport.-v

ing rollers. I have shown four such rollers 15, each includingv a cylindricaly or barrelshaped shell 16 rotatably mounted on anN axle 17 by means of an annular row of bear-V ing 4.rollers 18.V Thus the main. supporting roller 15 may freelyrotateon the,` axle 17 indepenedently` of any. rotation of the, lat- Y ter. The aXlecarries a pairof washers or end plates 19 loosely4 mounted thereon andofslightly less diameter than themairimum external diameter ofthe supporting rolle-r 16 but ofl greaterfdiameter than the internal diameter of s aid Y' supporting roller, whereby. they holdthe supporting roller and bearing rollers against relative endw-ise movement These end plates may be looselymounted on the axle 17 and freelyl rotatablethereon and, v

vheld against longitudinal movementfnon the axle by the spring, ashereinafter more par! ticularly pointedout.

Thebase carries apa-ir o fdepending 20 rigidly connectedfthereto or integrally' formed therewith and spaced apart to a disl tically. guided by them and held against anyy material endwise movement by the inner surfaces of the grooves. For closing or par-vv tially closingthe lower ends of the grooves to prevent the axle from dropping out when the baseis lifted and tofacilitate the removal of the axle and roller when desired, I

provide removable stops which are shown in* l the form of screws 22 threaded into the lugs or kbearing blocks 2O and having portions projecting at least part way across the lower,

ends of the corresponding grooves. These screws are shown as extending'upwardly into the lower ends of the lugs with comparatively large heads partially closing the lower ends of the grooves. Y

For pressing the rollers downwardly and resisting, but permitting relative vertical movement of the axles and baseV with its guiding grooves, I provide fiat springs which may assume various different forms. In

kF 1,'there is shown a pair of springs 23,

each of which has its intermediate portion engaging directly with the base and its terminal portions acting upon two separate rollers. Y The spring may be held against longitudinal movement by any suitable stop although preferably it is held by a screw 24 which also retains the spring in position on the base independently of the removal of the rollers. The spring has yits terminal portion of a width substantially equal to the distance between thel two lugs 2O and has two prongs or extensions 25 spaced apart to leave a recess of a Vwidth'approximately equal to the length of the roller 15. Thus the two prongsy or extensions 25 may be placed between the two lugs atthe opposite ends of the roller and between the axle and the under surface of the base. The spring is given such an initial set that both ends press downwardly and normally hold the rollers at the lower Y ends of their guiding slots 21. At the same time the prongs prevent any endwise separation or bodily movement of the rollers or the separate parts thereof. The prongs are illustrated as being provided with transverse corrugations or grooves which receive the axle, but this is comparatively unimportant if other means be provided for preventing endwise movement of the springs. Y

vAs thefrollers are not carried by theV springs but are merely pressed downwardly by them, it will be evident that any rearward thrust on the rollers during the advancement of the base will be resisted by the solid lugs 20 rather than by the springs. It will also be noted that the rollers are not directly carried by,or secured'to the springs so that upon removal of the screws 22, or possibly only one of them, any roller and its axle may be removed without disturbing the spring otherwise than relieving thel pressure thereon. It will also be noted that upon the removal of the roller, the end plates 179 of the latter are released and the separate parts` of the roller may be very easily separatedto remove any lint or dust which may be' worked in between the end plates 19 and the ends of the roller '16 tol interfere with the free rotation of the bearing rollers 18. All` of the parts of the roller arefreely separable upon the bodily removal of the roller from the base. f

I have shown only twosp'ringsfor the four rollers, each spring being secured intermediate of itsends and acting on two rollers, but it will, of course, be evident that thisis not essential as' the two'ends of the spring 23 may be made of separate pieces of material independently secured to `the base. f

The springs should be made of such stili'- ness and Vinitial set as will normally hold the rollers down to their limiting positions or rather support the base to the desired height above the cutting-table.y They should not be so stili' as to prevent proper absorbing of the j ar or vibration caused by the reciprocation of the knife and other working parts of the machine. f

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the length of the springs is determined-by the distance between the front an-drear rollers. 'In' order to give the springs somewhat greater lengthV and to provide a single' securingmeans for both springs, I may form them as shown in Fig. 5.v Here each spring 23a acts upon two diagonally opposite rollers, lthe two springs being connected togetherif desired by a rivet 25 at their point of crossing. The two springs may be secured to the center portion of the base, which latter may have depending lugs or shoulders 28 to prevent lateral movement or turningrof the spring about' the pivot 25. One or more of these lugs or shoulders 28 may carry a screw 27 so positioned and with a head of suiiici'ent size to overlap the one orbothiof the springs,thus

rigidly securing the center portions of both K able in said slots and a spring engaging with said base and havingportions engaging with said axle between the ends ,of said roller and said lugs for resiliently pressing said axle downwardly away from the body of said base and toward said stops.

2. A base for reciprocating-knife cloth cutting machines having a body portion presenting a pair of opposed substantially vertical slots, a roller having an axle vertically movable in said slots, a springv engagingv with said base and with said axle at the ends of said roller for resiliently pressing said axle downwardly, and means at the lower end of said slots for limiting the downward movement of said axle.

3. A base for bodily movable machines carrying vibratory parts, including a roller having an axle, guiding means carried by said base and engaging with said axle to permit relative vertical movement of the axle and base, and a fiat spring having a portion engaging with said base and having separate extensions at one end thereof for enga ement with said axle at opposite ends of said roller to resiliently resist but permit downward movement of said base in respectv to'said axle.

4.-. A base for portable machines carrying vibratory parts, including a pair of rollers, each having an axle, vertical guiding means carried by said base for engagement with each end portion of each axle and a spring having its intermediate portions secured to said base and its opposite end portions engaging with the upper sides of both of said axles at opposite ends of said rollers for yieldingly resisting but permitting movement of said axles along said guiding means.

5. A base for portable machines carrying vibratory parts, including la pairof rollers, each having an axle, vertical guiding means carried by said base for engagement with each end portion of each axle, a spring having its intermediate portions securedto said base and its opposite end portions engaging Y with both of said axles at opposite ends of said rollers between the latter and said guiding means for yieldingly resisting but per mitting movement of said axles along said guiding means, and means for Vpreventing endwise movement of said spring.

6. A base for portable machines carrying vibratory parts, includingy a supporting roller having an axle, an outer barrel or shell, bearingr rollers intermediate of said axle and shell and of substantially the` same length as the latter, end plates carried by said axle at the ends of said bearing rollers and shell, sliding connections between the Yends of said axle and'said base, and means engaging with said axle for normally preventing relative endwise movement of said end plates, bearing' rollers and shell, and

vresiliently resisting relative vertical Vmovement of said axle and base.

7 A base for portable machines carrying reciproca'tory parts, including a supporting roller having an axle, Van outer shell, an annular row of bearing rollers and annular each including a plurality of separable parts,

vertical guiding means for connecting said rollers to said base and a single leaf spring having its intermediate portion engaging with said base and its terminal portionsv serving to prevent relative endwise VInovement of the parts of said rollers and yield-V ingly resisting butpermitting relative vertical movement of said rollers and base.

9. A base havin a'pair of rollers secured to the under side t ereof and vertically movable in respect thereto and a leaf spring having yits intermediate portion engaging with the under side of-said base and having each end provided with a pair of prongs for detachably engaging the side of the axle roller toward the base to press the roller away lfrom thev base, 'said prongs being spaced apart to form a recess receiving the body of the roller. Y

l Signed at New of April A. D. 1920.

MARTIN ZAWISTOV York in the county of New -York and State of New York thisrlth` day 

